The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot: A New Look at the Betrayer and Betrayed

Lost for nearly 1,700 years, newly restored and authenticated, the Gospel of Judas presents a very different view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas. Rather than paint Judas as a traitor, it portrays him as acting at Jesus' request.

First, I will not sound like a fan of Dr. Erhman's, but I assure you that I am. You will not find a better authority on early christianity, or the persons who figure prominently in it's beginings. Bart Ehrman is, by now, known by most readers of religeous non-fiction, and is best known for works such as 'The Lost Christianities,' 'Misquoting Jesus,' and 'Truth & Fiction In The DaVinci Code.' His latest offering is an account of his part in bringing to life the lost gospel of Judas Iscariot. He spends about half the time to retrace Judas' history, as we know it, and to solidify what little truths we can gleen from the information. Turns out that this "Lost Gospel," is another discovery of Gnostic Literature. I was disheartened when I heard that, as some outlandish themes were bound to be included in the documents. Turns out that I was right! In this gospel, Judas is portrayed as a Demi-God, and not the low life that he is in the Cannonical Gospels. Jesus claims that sacrificing the mortal part of the messiah will earn him a high place in another plane of existence. Jesus laughs at the other apostles for paying homage to what he considers the wrong God. I do not even have enough room to explain Gnosticism, but you can gleen that it isn't even a close offshoot of Christianity. If you are interested in the Gnostics, Elaine Pagels has the best book out there, which Audible does carry. It is called, 'The Gnostic Gospels.' The problem with Bart Erhman's book is that it is quite redundant, expecially for those that have read any of the other surviving Gnostic Texts. I found myself screaming, "Not another one!" Currently, there are at least 3 books out there, just on this theme. If your looking for something fresh and new, this isn't it. If your looking for something plausible, this isn't it. If you like Bart Ehrman and you want to hear some background history about Judas Iscariot, this is your book. Want to experience some
Gnosticism, this is your book.

Digital Fortress

When the NSA's invincible code-breaking machine encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant, beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage, not by guns or bombs, but by a code so complex that if released it would cripple U.S. intelligence.

This is a pre-DaVinci Code novel, by Dan Brown, which centers around a deadly virus which has infected the National Security Agency's Data bank, and thier code breaking behemoth 'T.R.A.N.S.L.A.T.O.R.' His main character, Susan Fletcher, is the head cryptographer for the NSA, and is called in on a Saturday by her boss, The Deputy Director of the NSA, Trevor Strathmore. Turns out that Strathmore ran a computer algorithem, in an attempt to see if their decrypter, TRANSLATOR, could decipher it. The algorithem was called Digital Fortress, and problem is that this algorithem has a purpose, which is to destroy the protective filters guarding the NSA Databank. Strathmore relies on Susan to find the identity of a mystery man, who has the key to stop the coming disaster. This is vintage Brown! Like his other books, Digital Fortress takes place in the course of a 24 hour period. There is a Dan Brown guarantee which insures the reader that the NSA does exsist. There is an assassin (Hulahot), a love interest (David Becker), suprise heroes and villians to spare, and the fast paced action that Brown fans have come to expect. This is a must read for fans of Dan Brown, or if you are in the mood for a fast paced thriller!

The Jesus Family Tomb: The Discovery and Evidence That Could Change History

The Jesus Family Tomb tells the story of what may very well be the greatest archaeological find of all time: the discovery and investigation of the tomb belonging to Jesus' family. The tomb in question houses ossuaries (bone boxes) with inscriptions bearing the names of Jesus of Nazareth, the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Judas, the son of Jesus.

Let's get one thing straight, this aint the DaVinci Code. I have already heard a few of my friends refering to this tomb as a Dan Brown doppleganger! Dan Brown's work was fictional, you can still buy any of his books if you look in the fiction section of this or any other book store. Simcha Jacobovici and Charles Pelligreno have given us a documentary peice, which is, to say the least, 'Earth Shattering.' They claim to have found the Tomb of Jesus Christ, and his family. If anything else, these guys did thier homework! They spill out thier theory with astounding casework done by world reknown Archaeologists, Statistitions, Doctors, and Scientists. Because of the nature of the subject, Mr. Jacobovici gave his readers an accurate depiction of life during Jesus' time, and is respectful to Christianity, and sticks to theological fact. I could go into detail, but that would spoil the pleasure of discovering this for yourself. Add an introduction by James Cameron (Terminator & Titanic,) and 'The Jesus Family Tomb' becomes a must read! Can it really be that the Historical Jesus has been found, at last? Mosey on over to the Non-Fiction section and find out.

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